Fast forward

"He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again." Mark 8. 31

Clocks went forward today and many might be thinking: if only we could fast forward to the end of this lockdown. Understandable, especially if it would also mean an end to the suffering, even death, of those afflicted by Coronavirus. But sometimes there are no short-cuts and to wish there were risks failing to engage, to get to grips with what we have to do.

At the beginning, during and towards the end of his earthly ministry, Jesus was tempted to avoid suffering, court popularity, conform to others' expectations. The church exists and we look forward to eternal life because he didn't buckle. And today in Strath & Sleat we are looking forward to celebrating that in our Communion Service - which should be in Kilmore but will happen online (DV!).

Jesus' command to break bread in remembrance of his broken body was not out of his desire to wallow in suffering but so that we should be ever mindful of its significance: the perfect sacrifice which removes the stain of our sin. And the wine: not just a celebratory flourish but confirmation of the restored intimacy of our relationship with God, creation and one another - because of what Jesus did.

Jesus did it all, without cutting corners, so that we could have it all, everything that matters. And he did it out of love, pure and profound, for you, for me. What a saviour, what a friend, what a day!